Fundraisers to benefit the Freedom Climb

The Freedom Climb will bring over 60 climbers to the Fernie area in August.

For the first time in Canada, the Freedom Climb comes to Fernie, on Aug. 2. This six-­day symbolic climb to freedom will cover over 60 km and 9000 ft. while bringing awareness and raising funds to help combat modern-­day slavery, exploitation, oppression and trafficking. The event includes a welcome reception, four days of climbing and a day of prayer and worship with guest speakers. All accommodation, events and gatherings are being held at Lizard Creek Lodge at Fernie Alpine Resort.

One of the event organizers and Freedom Climber, Ramona Gliege, is very excited to be hosting this event in her hometown.

“Fernie has been an amazing supporter of the Freedom Climb. The community supported me when I did my first international climb up Kilimanjaro in 2012, then again when five of us local women went to Colorado to do the Seven Summits in 2014, and now, this summer, as seventeen Elk Valley climbers participate in the first Canadian Freedom Climb right here in Fernie,” she said. “We thought what better place to have the first Canadian climb than Fernie, where the locals are compassionate and get behind others to support good causes and where beauty surrounds us and where the mountains touch the sky and a river runs through the valley? This community has been amazing in supporting us through the planning and hosting 63 women hiking together in the mountains this summer for this great cause.”

The Freedom Climb is a project of Operation Mobilization (OM) and brings hope and transforms the lives of women and children who are exploited, enslaved and trafficked. The objective is to raise funds and awareness of these issues to support OM projects around the world. Freedom Climb Canada has partnered with The Joy Smith Foundation, a Canadian organization that works to ensure that every Canadian man, woman and child is safe from manipulation, force, or abuse of power designed to lure them into the sex trade or forced labour. Mrs. Smith will be a speaker at the event.

The Freedom Climb is more than just climbing a mountain; it is a way to engage in the global battle against slavery and oppression and to strategically help the women and children it affects. Climbing these mountains is merely a symbolic gesture to demonstrate the struggle that women and children around the world go through every single day.

On June 11, four young ladies will be hosting an all-day event to raise funds and awareness for trafficked women and children around the world. The event will take place at the Royal Hotel starting at 1 p.m. Liam Monahan will be completing the Mural with a portrait of Connor Gliege. There will be a bouncy castle for kids and all families are welcome. The evening will feature a dance party. The cost will be $10 for the day event and $10 cover for the dance party or $15 for the whole day. Children get in for free. There will also be a raffle with great local prizes. As an additional means to reach their personal goal of raising $3000 the Freedom Climbers are hosting a Multi Media Art Auction on July 8 from 7-­9 p.m. at the Castle on First.